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Names to know: Estabillo, Tuivai had breakout seasons to help teams win league titles

The Maui News 2016-17 • MIL Girls Basketball All-Stars

LEFT PHOTO: Braeanna Estabillo helped lead the Lahainaluna High School girls basketball team to its 13th straight MIL Division I title, extending the Lunas’ league winning streak to 134 in the process, and a state semifinal appearance for the eighth time in nine seasons. RIGHT PHOTO: Anaulei Tuivai led a Seabury Hall team that had just seven players on the roster but was able to win the MIL Division II title and make the state tournament. * The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photos

Braeanna Estabillo’s name was misspelled on rosters all season long.

Anaulei Tuivai was similarly unfamiliar to many Maui Interscholastic League fans until this year.

It’s a good bet those fans know their names now — Estabillo and Tuivai are this season’s MIL Girls Basketball Players of the Year, as selected by league coaches.

Estabillo helped Lahainaluna High School to its 13th MIL title in a row while the Lunas stretched their record league winning streak to 134 this season. Then, with her first name spelled wrong in the state tournament program, the Lunas advanced to the semifinals for the eighth time in nine seasons.

“It’s like a mixed name between my mom and my dad,” Estabillo said. “My mom put two and two together. It gets misspelled a lot.”

MIL Girls Basketball All-Stars

The 5-foot-5 junior guard is joined on the MIL Division I first team by Lunas teammates Rachael Balagso and Susitina Namoa, and Kamehameha Maui’s Kaylee Cambra and Ashley Peralta. All are juniors, with the exception of Namoa, a freshman.

“It’s, like, overwhelming because honestly anybody could have got player of the year,” Estabillo said. “Everybody was doubting us, Lahaina, saying we were too small. Getting player of the year is a real blessing because we proved ourselves — especially proving myself because I’m short, too.”

Tuivai is a 6-0 freshman center for Seabury Hall and is joined on the MIL Division II first team by teammates Kyra Cambra and Ameera Waterford, Molokai’s Brooke Keliihoomalu and Lanai’s Tyana Soberano-Foster.

“It’s really shocking, actually, because as a freshman it’s kind of impressive,” Tuivai said. “I don’t showboat that I got it. I know that I work hard and that’s all that matters. It was so fun, there were some challenges, but we overcame it.”

The Spartans had a roster of just seven players, the lowest number of any of the 44 teams that made it to state tournaments for boys and girls this season. Three of those players were shared with the soccer team that was also at state on Oahu the same week as basketball.

“All we wanted to do was have fun,” Tuivai said. “That’s what I did. I played my game and I enjoyed it.”

Tuivai works out with the Lahaina girls in their summer program when her Upcountry team Country Jacks combined with the West Maui girls to make a team called Town and Country.

“That helped me a lot because Lahaina, the intensity and how they play ball, is really good for me,” Tuivai said. “It’s a D-I school and program, so it helps gives me a perspective.”

Tuivai enjoys playing with Estabillo.

“She’s one of the best guards on Maui,” Tuivai said. “She has such a good mind. She has such good court vision and she’s a good leader. When she talks to her coach, they have a connection.”

League championship coaches Todd Rickard of Lahainaluna and John Furtado of Seabury Hall are the MIL Coaches of the Year for D-I and D-II, respectively. Tuivai got a taste of playing for both.

“They have high expectations for you when you play, so you just try to reach it, just play your best,” Tuivai said. “Coach Todd is a really good coach and the experience was really good. I got to bond with other girls on Maui that play the same sport as me.”

The Lunas were a very different team this season, having graduated three NCAA Division I scholarship recpients last year — Keleah-Aiko Koloi (Hawaii), Fiemea Hafoka (San Jose State) and Cameron Fernandez (Washington State).

“We had so much fun because the girls wanted to prove everybody wrong in the MIL,” Estabillo said. “We just wanted to work hard and be humble about it.”

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com

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